Group I of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place from June 16 to 26, 2026. The group consisted of France, Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
France and Norway secured their spots in the round of 32 after two group game wins each, with France topping the group after defeating Norway in their final group game.
Senegal finished third with a decisive victory over Iraq, allowing them to advance as one of the eight best third-place teams. Iraq were eliminated after losing all three of their group stage matches, and they finished last in the World Cup based on goal difference.
Additionally, this edition marked Iraq’s return to the tournament after only appearing in 1986, France played its first ever World Cup on U.S. soil after having missed the 1994 edition and Norway also returning since 1998.
Teams Draw position Team Pot Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings November 2025 June 2026 I1 1 UEFA UEFA Group D winner November 13, 2025 17th 2022 Winner (1998, 2018) 3 3 I2 2 CAF CAF Group B winner October 14, 2025 4th 2022 Quarterfinals (2002) 19 15 I3 4 AFC Inter-confederation playoff Path 2 winner March 31, 2026 2nd 1986 Group stage (1986) 58 57 I4 3 UEFA UEFA Group I winner November 16, 2025 4th 1998 Round of 16 (1998) 29 31 Notes
Standings
In the round of 32: The winner of Group I, France, advanced to play the third-place team of Group F, Sweden. The runner-up of Group I, Norway, advanced to play the runner-up of Group E, Ivory Coast. The third-place team of Group I, Senegal, advanced to play the winner of Group G, Belgium, as one of the eight best third-place teams from the group stage.
Matches All times listed are local, UTC−4 (EDT).
France vs Senegal
The teams had only met once prior, when Senegal defeated defending champions France 1–0 in a major upset at the opening match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In the first half, Nicolas Jackson hit the post with a low shot from the left that came back off French goalkeeper Mike Maignan's leg and out for a corner. Just before half-time Ismaïla Sarr shot over the bar from six yards out after a low cross from Sadio Mané on the left.
In the second half, Mané appeared to catch Kylian Mbappé inside the box but after a VAR review no penalty was given. In the 66th minute, Mbappé made it 1–0 when he finished with a low right foot first time shot to the left corner from the right after a pass from Michael Olise. In the 82nd minute, Substitute Bradley Barcola ran onto a pass from Adrien Rabiot before chipping the ball over Édouard Mendy and into the net from the right to make it 2–0. In the 95th minute, Senegal pulled a goal back when substitute Ibrahim Mbaye scored with a shot from a tight angle on the right which French goalkeeper Mike Maignan got his hands to but couldn't prevent from going high into the net. A minute later, Mbappé got his second goal and France's third with a right foot shot from 30 yards out into the left of the net. In scoring his second goal of the game, Mbappé became the highest scorer in France's history with 58 goals.
GK 16Mike MaignanRB 5 Jules KoundéCB 4 Dayot UpamecanoCB 17William SalibaLB 19Théo HernandezCM 8 Aurélien TchouaméniCM 14Adrien RabiotRW 11Michael OliseAM 7 Ousmane Dembélé LW 20Désiré Doué CF 10Kylian Mbappé (c)Substitutions:FW 12 Bradley Barcola MF 24 Rayan Cherki Manager:Didier Deschamps GK 16Édouard MendyRB 15Krépin DiattaCB 3 Kalidou Koulibaly (c)CB 19Moussa NiakhatéLB 25El Hadji Malick DioufCM 8 Lamine Camara CM 5 Idrissa Gueye CM 26Pape Gueye RF 18Ismaïla Sarr CF 11Nicolas Jackson LF 10Sadio ManéSubstitutions:FW 20Ibrahim Mbaye MF 21Habib Diarra FW 13Iliman Ndiaye FW 9Bamba Dieng MF 6Pathé Ciss Manager:Pape Thiaw
Man of the Match: Michael Olise (France)
Assistant referees: George Lakrindis (Australia) James Lindsay (Australia) Fourth official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland) Reserve assistant referee: Stéphane De Almeida (Switzerland) Video assistant referee: (Saudi Arabia) Assistant video assistant referee: Armando Villarreal (United States) Support video assistant referee: Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua)
Iraq vs Norway
The two teams had never met before. The fixture marked the return of Iraq and Norway to the World Cup finals, their first appearances since 1986 and 1998 respectively.
In the 29th minute, Norway went in front when Erling Haaland slid in to score at the back post from close range after a low cross from the left by David Møller Wolfe. Iraq got an equaliser in the 39th minute when Aymen Hussein headed into the right of the net from six yards out after a cross from the left by Amir Al-Ammari. Haaland put Norway back in front four minutes later when he chased down a back-pass to Iraq goalkeeper Jalal Hassan with the ball hitting him from the goalkeeper's kick into the net.
In the 76th minute, Norway went 3–1 in front when Leo Østigård scored with a near-post header to the net after a corner from Martin Odegaard on the right. Norway got a fourth goal in the 6th minute of added time when Haaland's looping header across goal was deflected by Aymen Hussein at the back post into his own net for an own goal.
GK 12Jalal Hassan (c)RB 3 Hussein Ali CB 4 Zaid Tahseen CB 5 Akam HashimLB 23Merchas DoskiRM 8 Ibrahim Bayesh CM 24Zaid Ismail CM 16Amir Al-AmmariLM 17Ali Jasim CF 18Aymen HusseinCF 9 Ali Al-Hamadi Substitutions:MF 21 Marko Farji MF 14 Zidane Iqbal DF 25 Mustafa Saadoon MF 11 Ahmed Qasem FW 10 Mohanad Ali Manager: Graham Arnold GK 1 Ørjan NylandRB 26Julian RyersonCB 3 Kristoffer AjerCB 17Torbjørn HeggemLB 5 David Møller Wolfe DM 8 Sander BergeCM 10Martin Ødegaard (c) CM 14Fredrik Aursnes RF 7 Alexander Sørloth CF 9 Erling HaalandLF 20Antonio Nusa Substitutions:DF 4 Leo Østigård MF 18 Kristian Thorstvedt MF 21 Andreas Schjelderup MF 22 Oscar Bobb MF 6 Patrick Berg Manager:Ståle Solbakken
Man of the Match: Erling Haaland (Norway)
Assistant referees: Boris Ditsoga (Gabon) Amos Abeigne Ndong (Gabon) Fourth official: Amin Omar (Egypt) Reserve assistant referee: Mahmoud Abouregal (Egypt) Video assistant referee: Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico) Assistant video assistant referee: (Morocco) Support video assistant referee: Jarred Gillett (England)
France vs Iraq The two teams had never met before.
At 6:01 p.m., during the halftime break, the match was interrupted due to adverse weather conditions (thunderstorm and lightning alert). The match resumed at 8:00 p.m., and as a result, the second half was played concurrently with the first half of Norway vs Senegal in nearby New York−New Jersey.
GK 16Mike MaignanRB 5 Jules Koundé CB 4 Dayot UpamecanoCB 17William SalibaLB 3 Lucas DigneCM 6 Manu KonéCM 14Adrien RabiotRW 7 Ousmane Dembélé AM 11Michael Olise LW 12Bradley Barcola CF 10Kylian Mbappé (c) Substitutions:FW 20Désiré Doué MF 24Rayan Cherki MF 25Maghnes Akliouche DF 2 Malo Gusto FW 9 Marcus Thuram Manager:Didier Deschamps GK 22Ahmed BasilRB 3 Hussein AliCB 4 Zaid Tahseen CB 5 Akam HashimLB 23Merchas DoskiCM 24Zaid Ismail CM 16Amir Al-Ammari RW 11Ahmed QasemAM 14Zidane IqbalLW 8 Ibrahim Bayesh CF 18Aymen Hussein (c) Substitutions:FW 9 Ali Al-Hamadi DF 2 Rebin Sulaka MF 7 Youssef Amyn MF 20Aimar Sher MF 21Marko Farji Manager: Graham Arnold
Man of the Match: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Assistant referees: Micheal Barwegen (Canada) Lyes Arfa (Canada) Fourth official: Sandro Schärer (Switzerland) Reserve assistant referee: Stéphane De Almeida (Switzerland) Video assistant referee: Joe Dickerson (United States) Assistant video assistant referee: Antonio García (Uruguay) Support video assistant referee: Juan Soto (Venezuela)
Norway vs Senegal The teams previously faced each other once in 2006, a friendly won 2–1 by Senegal.
Erling Haaland dominated the match throughout, scoring two goals, and overwhelming the promising Senegalese team altogether, with Marcus Holmgren Pedersen having scored first in the 43rd minute. This win was enough for Norway to secure their spot to the round of 32.
GK 1 Ørjan NylandRB 26Julian Ryerson CB 3 Kristoffer AjerCB 17Torbjørn Heggem LB 5 David Møller WolfeDM 8 Sander BergeCM 10Martin Ødegaard (c)CM 14Fredrik Aursnes RF 7 Alexander Sørloth CF 9 Erling HaalandLF 20Antonio Nusa Substitutions:DF 16Marcus Holmgren Pedersen MF 6 Patrick Berg MF 21Andreas Schjelderup MF 22Oscar Bobb DF 4 Leo Østigård Manager:Ståle Solbakken GK 16Édouard Mendy RB 15Krépin DiattaCB 3 Kalidou Koulibaly (c) CB 19Moussa NiakhatéLB 25El Hadji Malick Diouf CM 8 Lamine Camara CM 5 Idrissa GueyeCM 26Pape Gueye RF 18Ismaïla SarrCF 11Nicolas JacksonLF 10Sadio ManéSubstitutions:FW 20Ibrahim Mbaye DF 14Ismail Jakobs MF 6 Pathé Ciss GK 23Mory Diaw MF 17Pape Matar Sarr Manager:Pape Thiaw
Man of the Match: Erling Haaland (Norway)
Assistant referees: Bruno Pires (Brazil) Bruno Boschilia (Brazil) Fourth official: Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (New Zealand) Reserve assistant referee: Isaac Trevis (New Zealand) Video assistant referee: Rodolpho Toski (Brazil) Assistant video assistant referee: Juan Lara (Chile) Support video assistant referee: (Poland)
Norway vs France
The teams had previously faced each other 16 times, most recently in 2014, a 4–0 win for France in a friendly match.
This marked the first time in World Cup history that Norway lost to an opponent other than Italy, who failed to qualify after finishing behind Norway in their qualifying group and subsequently losing on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off final.
By scoring three goals within the first 32 minutes, Ousmane Dembélé became the second-fastest hat-trick scorer in tournament history, trailing only Erich Probst of Austria, who completed his in 24 minutes against Czechoslovakia in 1954.
Following this result, France advanced as Group I winners while Norway qualified as runners-up, with the final standings heavily influenced by Norway's defensive errors and inconsistent performances.
GK 13Egil SelvikRB 14Fredrik AursnesCB 25Henrik Falchener CB 4 Leo ØstigårdLB 15Fredrik André Bjørkan DM 6 Patrick Berg (c) CM 18Kristian Thorstvedt CM 19Thelo AasgaardRF 22Oscar Bobb CF 11Jørgen Strand LarsenLF 21Andreas Schjelderup Substitutions:MF 2 Morten Thorsby DF 16Marcus Holmgren Pedersen DF 24Sondre Langås MF 23Jens Petter Hauge MF 20Antonio Nusa Manager:Ståle Solbakken GK 16Mike MaignanRB 5 Jules Koundé CB 4 Dayot Upamecano CB 26Maxence LacroixLB 19Théo HernandezCM 8 Aurélien Tchouaméni CM 6 Manu KonéRW 7 Ousmane Dembélé AM 11Michael Olise LW 20Désiré DouéCF 10Kylian Mbappé (c) Substitutions:FW 12Bradley Barcola MF 24Rayan Cherki DF 15Ibrahima Konaté FW 22Jean-Philippe Mateta DF 2 Malo Gusto Manager:Guy Stéphan
Man of the Match: Ousmane Dembélé (France)
Assistant referees: Stuart Burt (England) James Mainwaring (England) Fourth official: Ma Ning (China) Reserve assistant referee: Zhou Fei (China) Video assistant referee: Jarred Gillett (England) Assistant video assistant referee: (Belgium) Support video assistant referee: (Saudi Arabia)
Senegal vs Iraq The two teams had never met before. This was the only match in Group I held outside of the United States.
With this result, Senegal became the first African team to score five goals in a single FIFA World Cup match, surpassing Algeria's 4–2 win over South Korea in 2014. This allowed Senegal to advance to the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams, and the only one to progress with just three points.
Iraq were eliminated from the tournament following three consecutive defeats. This brought their overall historical record to six losses across two World Cup appearances, leaving them entirely winless since returning to the competition after a 40-year absence. Additionally, it marked the joint second-largest defeat suffered by an Asian team during the tournament's group stage, following Qatar's 6–0 loss to Canada and tied with Uzbekistan's 5–0 loss to Portugal 3 days earlier in Houston.